In general, photographic processing of silver halide photographic materials with automatic processors is conducted by combinations of steps using processing solutions having functions of development, fixing and washing. When a large amount of photographic materials are processed, components consumed by processing and components carried out by inclusion in photographic material films are replenished. On the other hand, in order to remove components eluted in processing solutions by processing of photographic materials or concentrated by evaporation (for example, halogen ions in developing solutions and silver complex salts in fixing solutions), processing solutions are partially discarded by overflowing at the same time that the replenishment is conducted.
Photographic processing effluents which have hitherto been generally used contain environmentally or pollutionally unfavorable components. It is therefore not permitted to discard them into the general drainage system, and they are required to be treated as industrial wastes. In facilities where photographic materials are processed (for example, hospitals, printing companies and mini laboratories), it becomes necessary to request recovery of effluents to professional effluent processors paying recovery fees or to install pollution prevention equipment. Request to the effluent processors necessitates considerable space for pooling the effluents and high recovering cost. Further, installation of the pollution prevention equipment has the disadvantages that extremely high initial investment in the equipment and considerable space for installing the equipment become necessary.
Further, in 1996, it was resolved to prohibit the disposal of industrial wastes at sea as a general rule. Accordingly, the developments of processes for fundamentally reducing the amount of the effluents and means for efficiently treating the effluents are urgently desired, not limited to the problem of effluent recovery in each facility.
On the other hand, the necessity to reduce pollution caused by developing solutions and fixing solutions, namely to reduce or remove environmentally unfavorable components has been increased. In particular, developing solutions have been desired to be easily handled, that is, high in safety and not turned to dark-brown tar-like products even if oxidized.
Further, in order to solve this problem, the techniques of using photographic materials containing developing agents and developing with alkaline solutions substantially free from developing agents are disclosed in Research Disclosure, vol. 173, 17364 (1978), JP-A-50-39928 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), JP-A-57-84448 and JP-A-63-228148. In these techniques, development is required to be conducted with developing solutions having a pH as high as 12 to 14 to obtain sufficient density, so that it is not said to be environmentally favorable processes.
Furthermore, these prior-art techniques have the disadvantage that a large amount of silver is applied to the photographic materials in order to obtain sufficient density, which causes an increase in fixing load, failing to decrease the replenishment rate of fixing solutions.
There are a number of prior-art techniques in reference to tabular grains high in silver chloride content. Examples of the tabular grains having (111) faces as major faces are described in JP-B-64-8326 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), JP-B-64-8325, JP-B-64-8324, JP-A-1-250943, JP-B-3-14328, JP-B-4-81782, JP-B-5-40298, JP-B-5-39459, JP-B-5-12696, JP-A-63-213836, JP-A-63-218938, JP-A-63-281149 and JP-A-62-218959.
Prior-art techniques of the tabular grains having (100) faces as major faces are described in JP-A-5-204073, JP-A-51-88017, JP-A-63-24238, etc. In particular, silver chloride-containing (100) tabular grains are described in JP-A-63-24238.
Many examples of photographic materials containing these tabular grains high in silver chloride content are seen, but there is no example in which developing agents are contained therein as the present invention.
Much less, it has not been expected at all that the photographic materials of the present invention are very effective for achievement of the reduced replenishment rate of developing solutions and fixing solutions and the reduced pollution caused thereby in an image forming system in combination with X-ray absorbent fluorescent intensifying screens.
The prior-art techniques are insufficient for achievement of the reduced replenishment rate of developing solutions and fixing solutions and the reduced pollution caused thereby.